Five Contemporary Photographers Transform Landscape Photography with Light, Color and Installation

Five contemporary photographers are shaking up landscape photography with their unique approaches that challenge traditional depictions. Reuben Wu, born in 1975, employs drones and long exposures to create stunning geometric shapes above natural settings in his projects, Thin Places and SIREN, resulting in images that feel tactile and inspired by nature. Terri Loewenthal, born in 1972, takes a fresh look at male-dominated perspectives through her vibrant, single-exposure psychedelic works, featuring forests and oceans; her pieces will be showcased at SOMArts and Heron Arts in San Francisco by late 2025. Rune Guneriussen, born in 1977, has been focusing on lamp sculptures in Norwegian forests since 2005, valuing the creative journey over the final shot. Tom Leighton, born in 1981, captures vivid volcanic landscapes at dusk, reflecting Earth's geological changes. Lastly, born in 1989, Maria Leonardo Cabrita imagines the fictional planet Vulcan with her neon-colored photographs taken on Vulcano island near Sicily. All of these artists have contributed to Aesthetica Magazine, pushing the boundaries of the genre to examine the relationship between humans and nature.